Tracee Ellis Ross relaxing by a tropical pool during a solo travel trip.
The Reality of Modern Escapes
Navigating global travel in 2026 demands a high tolerance for risk. Flight delays, soaring expenses, and geopolitical unease are enough to keep anyone grounded.
Tracee Ellis Ross has a simple antidote for this travel anxiety: stop pretending you are entirely relaxed. “I like to joke that I plan for beauty and disaster,” the actress says.
Ross recently announced she will star in the one-person Broadway play Every Brilliant Thing. She views our current global climate as a mandate for self-care. “A sense of not vigilance, but awakeness, is very necessary,” she notes.
Tracee Ellis Ross stretching gracefully by an infinity pool in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
The Booming Independent Market
After bringing warmth and sharp humor to shows like Blackish, Ross is fully embracing her role as a global ambassador for solo exploration.
Her Roku series, Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, became the platform’s highest-rated unscripted series after debuting last summer. The show captures the messy, vibrant reality of overpacking and conquering fears across Spain, Mexico, and Morocco.
Women are increasingly hitting the road alone, ditching the need for permission or travel partners. According to the JourneyWoman study “Invisible No More: The Ageless Adventuress,” the solo travel market for women over 50 is projected to hit $519 billion by 2035.
Ross stresses that this movement is completely inclusive. “Solo travel isn’t just for single people,” she says. “It’s of all ages and shapes and sizes and relationship statuses.”
Season Two: Returning to the Past
The second season of her series launches on July 24, shifting the focus from wandering to direct adventure. Ross pushed herself to trust her instincts and craft the most authentic experience possible.
The journey kicks off in Australia with a surfing attempt. Ross admits the gear shopping alone was exhausting, but the blend of Melbourne’s city hustle and nearby beaches won her over.
Tracee Ellis Ross sitting comfortably on the floor of a classic, elegant hotel hallway in Switzerland.
Another deeply personal episode brings her back to Gstaad, Switzerland, to visit the Palace hotel and the boarding school she attended four decades ago. The emotional return featured a fantastic ski instructor who also ran a local cheese farm. He delivered what Ross jokingly calls “hot boy cheese.”
Thailand offered a different kind of magic, deeply settling her nervous system. She notes that revisiting the concept of solo travel stripped away the initial novelty, reinforcing that the journey is a deliberate choice to be alone with yourself.
Packing strategies evolved wildly between destinations. She took two suitcases to Thailand but hauled seven to Switzerland, insisting she wore almost everything.
How to Plan for Vulnerability
Ross is pragmatic about the stresses of independent travel. She advocates for preparing for vulnerabilities, both internal and external.
Booking travel insurance or establishing an exit plan is a small price to pay for peace of mind. She also reminds fans that travel doesn’t have to require a passport. A Sunday afternoon on a lawn or a long drive to dinner offers a valuable reset without the anxiety of a massive financial investment.
When it comes to social media, Ross employs a strict delay strategy. She takes countless photos but saves her posts until she returns home.
“I need to have enough of a filter, to know what’s mine and what to share,” she says. Reverting to low-fi, authentic content resonates with audiences tired of heavily manufactured reality television.
Redefining Luxury and Hotel Pet Peeves
In a landscape of inflated costs, Ross embraces brand loyalty. She actively utilizes airline miles and appreciates the perks of customer reward programs.
She also challenges the internet’s definition of upscale living. “Luxury doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money, even though that’s what social media tells us,” Ross explains. Ten uninterrupted minutes with coffee or a quiet bath offers profound luxury for the nervous system.
When asked about hotel annoyances, she targets over-engineered rooms. Her biggest pet peeve is being forced to use a master iPad switch just to turn off a single bedside light.
Conversely, brilliant hospitality leaves a lasting mark. Ross recalls a late night at the Ritz Paris when the restaurant and bar were closing. A dedicated concierge managed to secure her a small silver dish of giant kalamata olives.
That level of distinct, personal connection carries over to her upcoming Broadway debut. Taking on Every Brilliant Thing means diving into live theater with no safety net. For Ross, stepping on stage alone perfectly mirrors her travel ethos: choosing yourself while seeking harmony with others.
